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1 UJosefa waziphosela phezu kukayise wamkhalela, wasemanga. 2 UJosefa waselaya izinyanga ezazingaphansi kwakhe ukuqhola umzimba kayise u-Israyeli. Ngakho izinyanga zamqhola, 3 zathatha insuku ezingamatshumi amane ezigcweleyo, ngoba kwakuthatha isikhathi esingako ukuqhola. AmaGibhithe amlilela insuku ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
4 Insuku zokulila sezedlule, uJosefa wathi kuziphathamandla zikaFaro, “Nxa ngifumane umusa kini, ngikhulumelani kuFaro. Mtsheleni lithi, 5 ‘Ubaba wangifungisa isifungo wathi, “Sengizakufa; lingimbele ethuneni engazigebhela lona mina ngokwami elizweni laseKhenani.” Manje-ke ake ungivumele ngihambe ngiyongcwaba ubaba; besengiphenduka.’ ”
6 UFaro wathi, “Hamba uyongcwaba uyihlo, njengoba wakufungisa ukuthi uzakwenza.”
7 Ngakho uJosefa wahamba wayangcwaba uyise. Zonke izikhulu zikaFaro zamphelekezela, izikhulu zakhe zomphakathi kanye lazozonke izikhulu zaseGibhithe, 8 ngaphandle kwabo bonke abendlu kaJosefa labafowabo lalabo ababe ngabendlu kayise. EGosheni kwasala kuphela abantwana lemihlambi yabo yezimvu leyenkomo. 9 Wahamba elezinqola zempi labakhweli bamabhiza. Kwakulixuku elikhulu.
10 Bathi ngokufika esizeni sika-Athadi eduze kweJodani basiqhinqa isililo esikhulu esibuhlungu; kwathi khonapho uJosefa wazilela uyise okwensuku eziyisikhombisa. 11 Kwathi amaKhenani ayehlala eduzane ebona ukulila lokho esizeni sika-Athadi athi, “AmaGibhithe alenkonzo yawo yokulila.” Yikho-nje leyondawo eseduze kweJodani ithiwa yi-Abheli-Mizirayimi.
12 Ngalokho amadodana kaJakhobe enza lokho uyise abalaya khona: 13 Bamthwalela elizweni laseKhenani bayamngcwaba ebhalwini olwalusensimini kaMakhaphela, eduze leMamure, u-Abhrahama aluthenga kanye lensimu ku-Efroni umHithi ukuthi kube yindawo yokungcwaba. 14 Esemngcwabile uyise uJosefa wabuyela eGibhithe kanye labafowabo labo bonke ababehambe laye ukuyangcwaba uyise.
UJosefa Ubeka Abafowabo Isibindi
15 Abafowabo bakaJosefa sebebonile ukuthi uyise sefile, bathi, “Kambe uJosefa kasibekelanga isikhwili yini abesefuna ukuphindisela ngakho konke esamona ngakho?” 16 Ngakho bathumela ilizwi kuJosefa besithi, “Uyihlo watshiya imilayo le engakafi: 17 ‘Nanku elimele likutsho kuJosefa: Ngiyakucela ukuthi uxolele abafowenu izono leziphambeko abazenzayo ngokukuphatha kubi kangaka.’ Manje siyacela ukuthi uthethelele izono zezinceku zikaNkulunkulu kayihlo.” Kwathi ilizwi labo selifikile kuye uJosefa wakhala.
18 Abafowabo beza bafika bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe. Bathi, “Siyizigqili zakho.”
19 Kodwa uJosefa wathi kubo, “Lingesabi. Mina ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu na? 20 Lalihlose ukungenza okubi, kodwa uNkulunkulu wayehlose ubuhle ngakho ukuze kugcwaliseke lokhu okwenzakalayo khathesi, ukuphephisa impilo ezinengi. 21 Ngakho-ke, lingesabi. Ngizalinakekela lina labantwabenu.” Wababeka isibindi wabakhulumisa ngomusa.
Ukufa KukaJosefa
22 UJosefa wahlala eGibhithe kanye labo bonke abendlu kayise. Waphila okweminyaka elikhulu letshumi, 23 wabona isizukulwane sesithathu sabantwana baka-Efrayimi. Njalo labantwana bakaMakhiri indodana kaManase bathi bezalwa babekwa emadolweni kaJosefa.
24 UJosefa wasesithi kubafowabo, “Sengiseduze lokufa. Kodwa ngempela uNkulunkulu uzalisiza alikhuphe kulelilizwe alise elizweni alithembisa ngesifungo ku-Abhrahama, lo-Isaka loJakhobe.” 25 UJosefa wasefungisa amadodana ka-Israyeli isifungo wathi, “UNkulunkulu uzalisiza, yikho kumele lithwale amathambo ami lisuke lawo kule indawo.”
26 UJosefa wasesifa eseleminyaka yobudala elikhulu letshumi. Bathi sebemqholile, isidumbu sakhe basibeka ebhokisini eGibhithe.